Coach Al Bagnoli and Penn football have struggled throughout their first three games, as Dartmouth handed the Quakers a loss to begin Ivy play
Credit: Helen FetawHANOVER — If it wasn’t clear a week ago, it surely is now: Penn football won’t be Ivy League champions this year.
Dartmouth and its junior quarterback — Dalyn Williams — made sure of that on Saturday.
Despite being ranked fourth in the Ivy League preseason media poll, the Red and Blue were expected to compete for an Ivy title. But through three games, it looks like Penn will be closer to the bottom of the Ancient Eight than Ivy glory.
When the Quakers traveled to Dartmouth, they were looking to shake off any memories of last week’s 41-7 loss to Villanova.
And for a while, it looked like Penn may have figured things out. Sophomore quarterback Alek Torgersen led two impressive drives, using quick throws to get Penn down the field in a hurry. A 54-yard touchdown pass to senior Matt Schwartz gave Penn fans some hope and a 7-0 lead.
But it was all downhill from there. A Dartmouth touchdown. An interception. Another Dartmouth touchdown. More turnovers.
When all was said and done, the Big Green blew out the Quakers by 18 points in a game that never seemed very close after the early second quarter.
This team has shown flashes of brilliance — whether it was a deep pass from Torgersen to senior Spencer Kulcsar in the third quarter or a series of big hits from sophomore defensive end Corey Power and senior defensive back Drew Harris.
“We have a lot of young kids,” Kulcsar said. “You get sick of talking about it and hearing about it, but I think our team is one of the most talented teams in the league. I’m not going to stop saying that. But you get to a point where talent isn’t enough.”
As Kulcsar said, talent isn’t enough. Heck, you could easily say that the 2012 Penn squad that won the Ivy title wasn’t the most talented in the Ancient Eight that year.
Yet that team had a propensity for a big play while displaying the consistency and resiliency that is needed to win a title.
And the 2014 Quakers simply don’t have that yet.
A defense that expected to dominate has given up over 35 points a game, letting a series of very talented quarterbacks have their way with the Red and Blue.
Missed tackles and a lack of turnovers — zero against Dartmouth — make any game tough to win, let alone against the strong trio of teams Penn has faced so far.
The Quakers’ rushing game didn’t help on Saturday, gaining just 33 yards and forcing the Red and Blue to throw in a significant rain storm. While Torgersen was able to complete 40 passes, the majority of the passes were for short yardage, unable to move the ball very far against Dartmouth’s defense.
While former Jets coach Herm Edwards is right that you play to win the game, this season shouldn’t be about winning an Ivy title anymore. The Quakers need to bring their young core along and regroup, finding some way to be competitive in coach Al Bagnoli’s final season.
Penn’s strong senior class, led by players like Kulcsar, receiver Conner Scott and defensive captains Dan Davis and Evan Jackson, will have the chance to leave its mark in a different way, setting an example for the group that comes after it.
“We have some kids with some upside but they certainly are still learning, still growing,” Bagnoli said. “We’re going to have to remain patient and stay positive with them because our schedule is very difficult.”
If the Quakers are going to get back to the top of the Ivy League in short order, it will need to start now with that potential turning into success.
But don’t count on an Ivy title this year. That ship sailed on Saturday.
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